Secret Keeper
by Velvetine Muse
Summary: Hermione Granger always knew, being the friend of Harry Potter, that she would have to be a Secret Keeper. That was until the secrets she once thought she would keep safe with her friends for her friends, she was actually keeping from her friends and her
1. Red Flags

This is a promised fic to a very special friend of mine, which is the reason it is a DracoHermione paring because personal I think Draco's gay and wants to shag Harry. Sorry, that was rash, all I mean is this isn't a paring I usually read, which is good cause then I can't steal shit from other authors without consciously knowing it.

Enjoy, and if you want a preview of the next chapter just read my Bio page…

An entry quote that was in my head because of something I read a while back that I thought met and dated this hopeful story very well, enjoy;

No one starts a war—or rather no one in his sense ought to do so—without further being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how intends to conduct it.

_Carl Von Clausewitz, Vom Kriege_

Chapter 1

It takes years to really know someone; everything is downhill from there. Which is why Hermione Granger still didn't understand his behavior. She'd known him for years now and even with their many bad interactions and infinite quarrels she believed he truly was going to ask her to be with him. Silly really, after all how could she even consider protagonist Ronald Weasley like that. He liked her; she could tell, Ginny told her so too, even Harry the boy who lived but knew nothing about desirable love and such could tell. It seemed too cruel to be true but there she was standing on Platform 9 ¾ waiting for her closest friends to show up without even a badly executed invitation for a weekend at Hogsmede.

Hermione had seen Harry and Ron most of the summer before their final year at Hogwarts. She would have stayed with them all summer had she not promised her parents the last two weeks of her vacation for anything they planned. They called it their last chance to be with their grown daughter. She called it deteriorating from the world at hand.

Muggle her parents may have been but ignorant to the Wizarding world they were not, seeing as the Wizarding World had grown more restless with the present happenings backing up Lord Voldemorts return. That and Ron still couldn't deal with asking her to be his girlfriend.

Hermione sighed in a frustrated manner knowing that she always came back to the same disappoint subject no matter the conversation. It was not for vanity sake or anything along those lines did Hermione want to date Ron, Merlin only knows Hermione dropped ideas of permanent beauty and frizzled hair years ago, she just thought that after so many years of supporting each other this was the right time. Then again life was a big bundle of shambled disappointments. Winning this or being clever in order to get what she wanted didn't seem possible since Ron hadn't even hinted towards the slightest idea of anything between them happening the entire summer.

She sighed again and looked around the Platform, a wisp of light hair caught her eye and she almost recoiled but found it incredibly rude no matter who it was from. She turned her eyes towards the two figures and clearly, for the first time after the incident in the Ministry during their fifth year, saw the powerful form of the elder Malfoy.

Lucius was standing his profile in clear view to her, his facial expressions impossible to read if only he had gotten rid of that distasteful lip-curling look. She could tell something was bitter to him and it literally seemed it stood right under his nosed. The only problem with that was that there was no one under his nose. In fact the only thing in Lucius's annoyed line of view was the Malfoy heir himself looking as exceptional as every year but a bit older and more pronounced. Aristocratic features never failed to be flounced, even if it wasn't on purpose. Hermione once again sighed in frustration, hoping she wasn't developing a habit, and remembered her reason for standing watching everyone else look good and have friendly, mingling conversations. 'Where were they?'

"Mione!"

She turned smiling, "Ron, Harry, it's so good to see you." She hugged each one at a time mostly for reassurance of them being solid.

"Well what are we standing around here for, lets get on the train otherwise we won't get an empty compartment!" Ron stated starting towards the train.

"No, Ronald, were actually all set, Luna and Neville are saving one for us, I saw them a while ago," answered Hermione matter of factly.

"Brillant,"Ron smiled pulling his trunk onto the train.

Hermione held Hedwig's cage while Harry pushed his trunk onto the train. He spoke rather quietly to Hermione, almost thought he was mumbling, "Mione, saw Malfoy didn't you?"

She nodded not understanding the direction he was steering the conversation.

"Malfoy senior was with him, odd isn't it?" he questioned.

"Yes, a bit," she answered, "in the sense, I suppose, that he seems rather to busy for a man just out of Azkaban to see his son off when he is old enough to be going alone." "Also odd that he isn't as smug as should be, seeing as he is looking into the eyes of his protégé."

"No wonder your Head Girl, Mione, no better witch for the job."

Hermione had the decency to blush, "thanks, but dot change the subject, what seemed strange to you about the whole ordeal?"

"Just that with all the hype Voldemorts been causing and him being out of jail just a little while now it seems weird, the great Lucius Malfoy being here as a father of duty."

"You're right Harry, but doesn't that make him look more fatherly, upstanding-"

"But it's so no Malfoy like, bugger if I know what I mean but it's just-"

"Untrustworthy?" Hermione supplied.

"Exactly," Harry stated smiling at her permanently deductive attitude.

They ended there conversation knowing it wouldn't take them far with only suspicion as their main defense and joined everyone else inside the compartment minutes later. Harry engaged himself with a game of Wizard's Chess with Neville, winner getting to play Ron who stared unstoppably at the board through the ride.

Ginny seemed to be fascinated with some books the twins had procreated for her from some rummages in their old room and Luna sat quietly reading her usual choice in journalistic literature.

Hermione planted herself down next to Luna trying not to laugh at the ridiculous cover the new issue of the Quibbler was sporting.

"Good summer Hermione?" her honey like voice asked in slow monotonous flows.

"Yes, lovely," she answered looking at Luna as she spoke through the Quibbler, "And you?"

"Quiet fascinating summer, my dad took me to see his office at the Quibbler, greatly ingenious really."

"Sounds very magical, though that isn't hard to find a magically involved journalistic magazine and such," stated Hermione matter of factly.

The conversation seemed to hush after that and then out of the blue Luna sighed contently and put the Quibbler down turning to Hermione and asking, "so who is it you like?"

Hermione was taken aback and her eyes seemed to widen slightly, "pardon?"

"The boy, the boy or girl I suppose that's making you have such a bad aura around you?" Luna persisted.

Hermione checked to make sure no one was paying them any attention before answering with a question of mild surprise, "I have an aura?"

"Why yes, just finished a new Quibbler article and it was fascinating, about aura origins and how they are sparked by filaments of pixie-"

"Sounds truly fascinating but why would this be about a boy?"

"Or girl," added Luna.

"Yes."

"Yes, it's a girl?"

"No, yes to whether this aura thing would be about a boy, or girl!" Hermione huffed in an exasperated tone.

"Oh!" "That's simple," stated Luna, "your aura is a grayish murky color which by the Quibbler means you are suffering from _"love of thine enemy"_ that's why I asked."

Hermione almost rolled her eyes, "No, not unless I am passionately in love with Rita Skeeter and I don't know it." " I am not suffering from whatever your magazine has depicted."

"No, your not," added Ginny, "but you'll suffer McGonagall's wrath at school if you don't show up for the head girl and boy meeting with the prefects."

Hermione gasped looking at her watch and frantically waved goodbye to everyone telling them to wait for her on the platform before running into the corridor.

She walked steadily towards the front of the train muttering to herself under her breath for being so careless and not ready for the meeting, good thing she changed her robes earlier before getting on the train. Her musing almost failed her from noticing the figure in the corridor before her. Looking closely she noticed it was none other then the young Malfoy himself sneering something awful at the window.

As he heard footsteps he turned and stared straight at her. Surprisingly he didn't continue sneering but just looked at her. His eyes were significantly unreadable and his posture of usual arrogance failed to be present. What surprised Hermione even more was that instead of spitting on her or worse he turned towards her and watched as she moved carefully towards him.

Hermione almost wished she had the Quibbler to be able to figure out his aura as Luna put it. Well actually that was a lie Hermione wished for anything at the moment, including the Quibbler, so she could put her nose in it and keep walking without making eye contact. It was too late now though, if she dropped her eyes he'd just silently proved her reigned over her even more. 'Fat chance' Hermione hissed to herself.

She was shoulder to shoulder with him when he made a sudden move and without even knowing it pushed herself away from his presence hitting the window he was glaring at moments ago.

She could feel his smirk before she looked up but surprisingly she didn't even get a chance because he leaned down speaking lowly for only her ears, "Don't flinch, it only feeds them." And then he was gone, robes elegantly swishing behind him in his usual fashion.

There was something almost flamboyant about his exit but Hermione felt that the most dignified thing she could do at the moment, besides hurry so she could be on time for the meeting, was to ignore it. Even what he said didn't make sense in context of their situation and as Draco Malfoy like to announce during potions, 'Malfoy's never procreate gargle and hardly ever misconstrue meanings, etcetera etcetera.' Ergo it was actually worth ignoring since Malfoy's "don't procreate gargle".

She briskly past the recently designate Malfoy danger zone and walked calmly into the compartment where the Head Boy, a Ravenclaw by the name of Greg Norly, stood waiting for her to give the prefect's their instructions.

The meeting didn't last long and Hermione was glad she changed before coming because being seen without her badge would seem unprofessional and she was determined to take this position seriously.

Malfoy did not show up for the meeting as prefect and Hermione almost wanted to yell across the train about his incompetence to actually do something right for a change.

"All right?"

Hermione whirled around and noticed Greg glancing at her with a questioning look.

"Fine, sorry, just a bit dazed, so how did you react the news of becoming this year's head boy?" she questioned changing her brains directional functioning.

"Tell you the truth I almost didn't have enough time to react you know?"

"What?"

"Well, I got my letter about a week ago, which seemed weird because my older brother at the ministry said that when he was head boy he got his letter a month before school started," answered Greg as he and Hermione exited the compartment and walked down the corridor which was starting to get crowded due to them pulling into the Hogsmede station.

"That's odd, I got mine much earlier," muttered Hermione.

They parted and she smiled waving goodbye and jumping onto the platform to see Harry and Ginny waving to her from down the line. She grabbed her trunk and tugged it down the platform.

Ron stood at their empty carriage with Luna already inside. Ron heaved her trunk up for her. Hermione squeezed in between Neville and Ginny.

The ride was short and filled with conversation as the group stepped through the great hall for the last first time. It didn't feel as special as she thought it should but then Hermione realized that it was probably because she expected too much. After all there was a first-last time for everything, good- and bad.

The welcoming feast was grand as usual but for some reason it seemed even more so. All doubts about expecting too much seemed to leave Hermione's head.

Maybe someone's last year did that to them but as she sat in her usual seat across from Harry and Ron, Ginny by her side Hermione smiled and as usual listened to Dumbledore's school starting feast.

The feast ended sooner then they hoped as they all headed upstairs led by the prefects.

Unlike everyone else Hermione followed the instructions given on her Head Girl letter and rose up the winding staircases to the tower appointed.

A painting of a severe looking witch hung on the wall. Her crisp dark robes hung beautifully of her figure and her hair was swept back. Hermione almost snorted at the pose. Her first thought unseeingly turned out to be that the pose seemed so Malfoy like of the woman it wasn't even funny. Instead of voicing her thoughts, though, she fastened on a smile and spoke the password written on the paper, "Merlin."

The witch glanced down at her and muttered something along the lines of, "Headmaster raising ill-mannered brats." Before moving languidly aside to let her in. Hermione bit her tongue recognizing a Pure Blood dead muggle-hating witch in an instant. She might as well have had a radar. Again thought, forces were pulling her to be nice to the witch and ignoring her calling to spew her own thoughts to the pointy nosed, primed, hostile, arrogant, status flouncing-well, it did sound good in her head.

Entering Hermione smelled a most unusual smell for school. It was familiar in such a nostalgic sense she looked straight to the fireplace and configured the form of her father reading to her mother and her just before Christmas morning. She smelled mums unorthodox double made ginger chocolate melted cookies. Double because her mom insisted since she was a little girl that if you make a cookie sandwich of two cookies it would taste twice as good and cancel out the upcoming harsh rush of sugar.

"Amazing isn't it?" questioned a pleasant voice interrupting Hermione's private musing.

"Headmaster," she spoke greeting him with a smile.

"Welcome, welcome, I hope you do find your new abode accommodating, yes?" he questioned his eyes twinkling with the enkindled fires low burning.

"It's lovely," Hermione spoke finally getting a chance to look around and actually be truthful to her recent words.

The room was excellent, much like the common room up in Gryffindor tower with comfortable chairs and a couple of small round study tables. A single couch adorned the center of the room but Hermione's focus again went to the fireplace. It was nothing like the one in the common room. The plating around and atop, especially the mantles were glistening marble made exquisitely in a color Hermione didn't recognize and couldn't describe.

It told a magical story over ages of time starting with a single wizard atop the mantle in the center.

"Merlin?" questioned Hermione moving in for a closer look.

"Quite right, my dear," stated Dumbledore. "Not many see this piece, it was constructed to be the guest residence for powerful figures visiting Hogwarts and at times the residence of the headmaster but as the Headmaster over the years I have found it would be in better use by those who are more deserving."

"The students," Hermione said smiling.

"Yes, precisely, now I believe Mr. Norly is about to join us."

True to his word, Gregory Norly appeared through the portrait hole looking terrible flushed. His collar seemed mussed and his hair was in a slight disarray. Hermione almost laughed at his appearance recognizing it right away. Greg Norly must have run into his friend, Virginia Cross, now whether it was in a broom closet or a deserted corridor Hermione wasn't sure but she was sure she would burst out laughing if someone didn't break the awkward silence.

"So sorry I am late, I just-"

"Was deterred from this engagement?" questioned Dumbledore his eyes dancing. "Quite alright, now as I was saying I hope you enjoy your new home." "Your rooms are designated by house color and there is a bathroom for you to share, I hope there won't be any problems with anything."

"No professor," they both stated.

"Lovely, well then your next meeting should be set sometime next week because the next Hogsmede trip will be two weeks from today as scheduled by the teachers, it will be your job to get the third years situated with there first trip, and so on," Dumbledore stated. "Now enjoy yourselves and do visit if there is something we need to discuss," he finished walking towards the exit his robes blowing behind him.

"Thank you," they both chimed together again before the portrait hole closed.

Greg released a heavy breath and took his first look around and stated, "Smells like my moms summer laundry when I was a kid." "Is that weird?"

"Perhaps," answered Hermione, "but I smell my mums double made ginger chocolate cookies-"

"Double what?"

"It's a muggle thing-wait no scratch that, it's a Granger thing," she smiled. "I think this 'common room' of sorts is enchanted to trigger nostalgic positive points in our memory allowing our sense of smell to derive what we liked best about our usually typical home lives," she stated.

"So sort of like a scented candle with a "Home Smell" nameplate?" he questioned.

"Yeah, something of the sort."

"Well, what do you think about the meshed colors, blue with red and gold and silver," Greg questioned walking to his room seeming half asleep.

"Lovely," stated Hermione and as Greg Norly bid her goodnight and went into his room shutting the door Hermione relished her real thoughts. "Blue and Red, Gold and Silver, the match but they don't belong together, not the right combination," she muttered under her breath as she trudged up her own set of stairs. It wasn't just her, the common room seemed to omit the sense it didn't like itself, kind of dark even in the firelight.

She closed her door and felt the soft comfort of her new sheets as she fell on the coverlet. Her room didn't even matter at the moment. Nothing but sleep mattered because she was tired.

It may have been wrong at the moment but for now it just have to do.

Ch 1 End

Much love if you have tried this first chapter out and I'd love to get some feedback. I am in love with reviews in fact I wish we had a more steady relationship going on but yeah. I am at a loss, so help a girl out.

Flame away, because I need to get used to it but just don't burn me to the point of no recognition.

Thanks,

Velvetine M

P.S. If you notice, and maybe you won't, but I'll point it out. I misspelled Velveteen, instead spelling Velvetine, this is actually done with a purpose and that I can reveal if you review and if I update with another chapter.


	2. Long Nights

Secret Keeper Ch. 2

Hello again and thank you if you have taken it upon yourself to read the next installment of this fanfiction. It's a trial for me so let me know what you think of it, in other words REVIEW .!

Also a small request for anyone interested, as most can tell my grammatical immune system is permanently sick so I would love anyone to volunteer as a beta/editor if you've done it before or feel you're pretty good at it. So to bold it out for those who don't read the A/N's (cause I am sometimes one of those people ) LOOKING FOR A BETA/EDITOR AND IT WOULD BE MUCH APRECIATED BECAUSE THEN THESE CHAPTERS WOULD GO BY A LOT FASTER WITH ACTUAL GRAMATICAL SENSE INVOLVED.

Thanks,

MV

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The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear 

_-H. P. Lovecraft_

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It was the strangest thing Hermione Granger heard when she woke up on the first school morning of her last year at Hogwarts. What it was—was indescribable, in fact in all her years here she had never heard it before. Sure the school was magically but that didn't warrant miraculous feats to occur on a daily basis----well, maybe it did but not this type.

When Hermione woke up that Monday morning she experienced her first morning of complete and utter silence.

Not a sound of rustling clothes or screeching girls trying to find out where there latest, newly bought, imported Parisian perfume went. No fighting with there drawers trying to pull there socks out. No last minute homework checks no bathroom crowds no hissing fights, nothing.

She sighed in content and listened for anything, anything at all. Perhaps the sound of her new male roommate, sort to speak, accommodating himself in the bathroom (a/n Doesn't mean what it sounds like!) or perhaps crashing about making noise in his room. She was even more surprised to hear nothing coming from his room or downstairs at all. It was like the world froze and Hermione wasn't there to join in on the…freezing.

She smiled to herself getting out of bed and smoothing down her skirt. It was inappreciably disgusting to wake up and find herself wearing her yesterday 'newly pressed' uniform in a style that would signify she either just rolled around in it for hours or just had terrific sex with it on. She nearly burst out laughing at her last thought taking her wand from the bedside table and muttering a nifty spell.

"There, good as new," she muttered going to the mirror and looking at her reflection, "now if only there was a spell like that for my hair," she mused.

No matter, perhaps it wasn't as frizzy as it was years ago and perhaps the extra curls at the bottom of her now tangled hair added some appeal to her appearance but she doubted it.

Grabbing her toothbrush and her towel she scurried into the common room and jiggled the handle of the bathroom door happily finding it open and stepped in.

She appeared minutes later refreshed, running upstairs to grab her bag and her few first day class necessities she set of to the Great Hall.

///////////////////////////////// \\\\\\\\\

Grand as it always was in the morning, something seemed out of place and Harry and Ron made it known right away as soon as Hermione joined them at there usual seats, away from the rest of the present Gryffindors.

"Hear the good news Hermione?" questioned Ron, surprisingly not with his usual signature full mouth.

"What news?" "Has the news world fired Rita Skeeter?" she questioned dropping her bag on the bench and sitting down.

Hermione was still steaming over the piece of 'journalism' she read by Skeeter that summer. The piece as usual somehow centered around the boy who lived and even hit on the Weasely family uncovering every dirty crack of their lives. Ron was pissed over it too but he seemed to be in more of a forgiving mood then her.

"You still on her Mione, just give it a rest, besides this is much better, Snape is going to be missing the first month of school and we're havin' Dumbledore step on for the first couple classes until they find someone who can take Snape's place—"

"For the time being," reminded Harry.

"Yeah, but still, 's giving me a feeling I won't be doing as miserable as I usually do in his class—"

"For a month—" added Hermione, "And you have to admit he is a rather brilliant Potion's teacher."

She received a doubling glare for that and Ron still wouldn't drop the subject, "The next time I admit anything positive about Snape is when me and Malfoy junior finally getting together and play a nice game of Wizarding chess."

"Don't be so dramatic Ronald," she stated grabbing a piece of toast and lightly smearing it with jelly.

"Speaking of Malfoy junior, he's not at his usual seat," stated Harry finally entering the center of the conversation.

"Really?" questioned Hermione looking over to the Slytherin table and noticing the hollow space between Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. "Well that's odd, he usually is very prim being pompous and all."

"I don't know what you two are worried about, the way I see it if the little bugger slept in and spent more time saving' his energy for humiliating other people; better it is for us I expect," answered Ron stuffing a whole piece of buttered bread in his mouth.

"Yeah," Harry agreed shrugging it off.

The subject was dropped and they finished there breakfast heading off to their very first Seventh year Transfiguration class.

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The day went by in a flash; Hermione sat through their double Potions class with almost as much enjoyment as Neville Longbottom who sat beside her actually making eye contact with their replacement potions master.

Ancient Runes and Arithmancy also went by rather quickly. Still in the midst of all the first day classes she noticed that Draco Malfoy was not existent for any of their classes. Usually the boy was there, flamboyancy and all, making his views and knowledge known. That was mainly why Hermione noticed, there was no one competing with her to get the right answer, no one trying to outdo her.

For god sakes she wouldn't have even thought twice about it if the memory of seeing Lucius Malfoy on the platform yesterday didn't come back to her every time there was no snide voice trying to correct something she said.

By the end of the day Hermione felt exhausted and hardly participated in the usual dinner conversation with Harry and Ron, who spent most of dinner talking Quidditch strategies to give Gryffindor the honors of the House Cup for their final year.

Making it upstairs with the calm thought that the last thing she would need to accomplish tonight is most of the potions essay and Arithmancy homework made her relax but as soon as she walked through the door a blur blew past her stopping for only a second on recognizing her.

"Hermione, I was just looking for you," said Greg trying to catch his non-existent breath. "Look, I am really sorry but the captain called a last minute practice tonight on the count of Slytherin taking our time this weekend so he's trying to make up for it. Think you could-"

"Sure," Hermione supplied feeling like it was the only fair answer. After all it wasn't like the boy was getting out of late night patrol duties because he wanted to go snog his girlfriend or go get drunk at one of Hogsmede's less hygienic pubs. It was understandable which is why Hermione was making his rounds ad 9:45 that night after finishing all her work. It was dark and just the way she expected the halls to be at night. Deserted. She would have even skipped the idea of checking the downstairs area around the great hall and library were it not for her great and overpowering sense of rightful wiliness, ect. Which is why she ended up downstairs looking through the eerily quite library.

Then she saw it, the fait glow of the lamp and the shaded figure and she felt it like she never felt before. She felt the gratification, it just seemed so frightfully gratifying to catch Malfoy at the act. To see him wronging the school system and disobeying the headmaster. Of course Draco Malfoy being Draco Malfoy did this on a daily basis, however, there was something about this time that stood out from all the rest. Maybe is was the rush she was feeling that she never felt before but Hermione Granger had never felt so much in control of the "Great Draco Malfoy". He seemed to be constantly under the protection of Snape who saved him from all the wrongs and broken rules he's ever committed and his dearly beloved father. Yet there was no Snape and no Lucius Malfoy to spread his wealth and connections throughout to make everyone forget. 

No, this was definitely nothing as elaborate as Hermione hopped and definitely not as exciting but catching Draco Malfoy after hours in the restricted section, Prefect or not, was too good even for Hermione to pass up.

She spoke quietly but not in a rushed voice, control was all about seeming natural and by Merlin Hermione was going to pull it off at least once.

"What are you doing here?"

He didn't whirl around like the Malfoy she always remember would do, he didn't even make any step towards recognizing there was another person with him. The only indicant that proved he knew she was there was his quant but very arrogant reply of, "Catching up on some reading Granger, and you?"

"You shouldn't make yourself seem overly superior Malfoy because at the moment the one without a pass to the restricted section or any guidance by Madam Pince, the one out after hours breaking all sorts of rules isn't me, Malfoy,"  
she hissed.

"What makes you think I don't have a pass to be here?" he questioned finally turning with an annoyed glare in her direction.

"I hardly think any of the professor would allow you such a pleasure and since your most generous professor isn't here at the moment I hardly doubt you have a pass to the restricted section of the library just so you can indulge in your late night reading habits!"

"You know that is one of the main reasons I hate you Granger, your just to smart for your own good, you never know when to stop, you never know when you should stop figuring things, problems, people out well let me help you out in saying 'mind your own dammed business'."

"This is my business!" she all but yelled.

"Oh yes, I have almost forgotten your Head Girl this year, you and that Ravenclaw lank, well congratulations for making yourself seem more big headed than before," he replied snidely closing his book and finally having enough initiative to turn towards Hermione.

"You know Malfoy at the moment there is nothing stopping me from hexing you into oblivion Head Girl or not," she hissed.

"By all means then Granger," he stated waving at her.

Hermione squinted muttering 'lumos' and saw the waiting expression of Draco Malfoy before she scanned the book he was holding and whispered, "Accio Gendrick's Viles of Life."

Two things happened at that moment. One, the book Draco Malfoy was holding safely on his person just seconds ago flew into Hermione's arms, and second she felt her body falling to the ground as another mass knocked her over. The book flying across the floor and Draco Malfoy staring down at her with venom written all over his face. He leaned down near her ear gripping the hand in which Hermione held her wand and whispered, "You should have done that Granger."

"Get off me!" she hissed trying to shove him off.

"Don't flatter yourself Granger," he stated and his grip on her arms tightend.

"You're hurting me you inconsiderate-!"

"Listen Granger and listen good, by making a mockery of yourself tonight you made it quiet impossible for me to finish up, now by doing that you've made me irreversibly snide-"

"Oh well how different that must be from your usual attitude!" she interrupted.

"I am glad that even with the situation your in you can still very easily make this whole situation seem amusing," he replied prying her wand from her hand. " Let me make something very clear though Granger, this is not going to be mentioned to anyone-"

"What gives you even the slightest idea that-"

He grabbed her by her neck pointing the wand at her and looking down at her with an expression Hermione wasn't sure she'd seen before, "You really do fit under the ideal of a Gryffindor, brave…and stupid."

"You change your mind to much Malfoy first I'm—"

And then Hermione felt nothing, she knew nothing and she awoke in the dark forest. The foliage making sharp dry noises, she tried to stand but she couldn't so she opted to check her surroundings and she saw a luminescent figure not five feet from her.

It was Malfoy, sitting stoically in the leaves the remains of a scuffle visible and his hand lying visible and clenching in upon itself. She wanted to help him but his hand horrified her, a little bit above the palm the restless snake was slithering and there was blood. So much blood.

Instinctively she tried to stand again but only fell over, her throat was dry she couldn't scream so she did what she could, she cried.

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Hermione jumped up feeling once again what it was like to be able to move your limbs only to find that she was in her quarters. She felt doubt, she still had her uniform on, did that mean last night really did happen, finding Malfoy in the library? Or did she just fall asleep after doing all her homework and the rest was a dream? Both were plausible but then she remember, there was one way to know for sure so Hermione rushed out of bed and rummaged through all her robes, her drawers and textbooks looking for any sign of it, but there was none. Her wand was gone, which meant he still had it.

Hermione never felt this frustrated, sure there were times when either or both of her closest friends were being twits, but nothing like this. She rubbed whatever sleep was left in her eyes only to come upon wetness, was she crying in her dream? Was that why she was so unnerved? This was twice in the same day she fell asleep in her robes and her head was a mess and—

She checked the clock, damn, she had five minutes or she would be late for Arithmancy never mind breakfast.

She rushed fleetingly around the room gathering her things and homework and rushing into the bathroom to skim her teeth with a toothbrush and brush her hair. Sadly nothing could be done about her clothes unless she wanted to be an exact 15 minutes late to class, getting to the Arithmancy tower in four was going to be a challenge all on its own.

She rushed past everyone forgetting her usual morning calm and made it into the classroom just before the professor arrived. She breathed a sigh of relief and took a seat in the back. It was unusual for her but today the less attention she got, the better.

Her emotions resorted into a more calm residence and then she looked up and she saw him. He wasn't facing her, not at all, after all what had he to do with her but she knew he was trying to her attention, because Draco Malfoy sat in his usual seat in the front row twirling her wand in his fingers. She could tell it was her, the articulate design on the handle, the slight curve of the wood and that one place it was chipped after one of her transfigurations decided to play fetch with the wand. He knew she remember and she knew that by raising her hand and announcing to the freshly arrived professor that Mr. Malfoy had her wand in hand would be ridiculous and impossible to prove.

She felt her face glow and her hate for him increase tenfold and her fists balled, her knuckles turning white.

Looks like this was her problem now after all.

Harry flew beautifully and it surprised Hermione how well she could keep up with the practice game at a time like this. The adrenaline was probably pumping her blood level to outstanding amounts. After all what would any other sensible witch do if her wand was stolen by a Slytherin who has no room for manners, rules, or kindness anywhere in his system. She should have cornered him, flanked by one of the professor's at her side, but she couldn't.

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Hermione saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team descend and waved to Harry and Ron as they acknowledged her and headed into the locker rooms. Hermione smiled slightly and headed back to the castle seeing the Front Entrance grand doors a few yards away when she saw a figure leaning casually along the wall of the castle. His posture revealed him even before Hermione could say something. She didn't look at him again and for some reason her feet began to pick up speed. Before long she knew that she was running towards the front castle steps. She felt the marble underneath her feet and breathed a sigh of relief. 'What in the fires of hell is wrong with me?' she questioned slowing her pace as she passed the Great hall and started up the stairs to the Head's room.

She turned the last hallway to her destination and felt her heart stop in her chest.

"You know for someone who was fuming about the loss of her wand you seem to be in a big hurry to avoid getting it back, my I inquire as to why?" questioned an acutely masculine voice.

Hermione controlled her facial expressions feeling the cold run into her hands. They were practically bloodless. "How did you get-?"

"You forget Granger your hero Potter isn't the only one who knows most of the inner passages of the castle," was the simple reply she received.

"How do you know the Heads room is over here?" she questioned looking into his gray storming eyes.

"So many questions and yet you avoid answering any of mine, that's rather rude, very muggleborn of you Granger," he stated.

"I do want my wand back and I would as if I didn't know what kind of person you were," she answered back.

"And what kind of person is that?" he questioned seeming amused by the situation.

"The kind who will ask for everything in return," she retorted getting angry. Here he was, the damned ponce, making fun at her expense.

"I already made demands, I don't need nor want anything else from you Granger," he stated taking out her wand and stretching it out to her.

Hermione looked at her wand and out of habit reached for it only to watch as he let it drop to the floor making an audible sound as it hit the stones. However her eyes seemed glued to his hand and her head began to hurt as she thought about her latest dream. The darkness on the edge of the bandage, how it was crusted, the color. He was bleeding from his hand, the hand that hypothetically—

Hermione grabbed his hand pulling at it and revealing the bandage that sat snugly underneath his robes and shirt. He saw the old remains of blood that seeped through the top and he pulled it away like she was acid.

Their eyes met his calculation her surprised ones. "How did you—" she began but dropped it thinking a mile a minute in her head.

"Granger this is none of your business, stay out of it."

"Is that…it can't be…" she murmured not taking her eyes of his.

He didn't smile, he didn't even smirk or grin like he expected, instead he pulled at the bandage and she stared as she saw a small something move on his arm. The small something drawn in black ink that looked like a tail.

She looked to the common room door and then to him, but he was gone. Draco Malfoy had disappeared.

Draco Malfoy was a death eater.

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She saw it, that damned mudblood bitch; he knew he shouldn't have delivered the wand to her. Sure he needed to get some laughs at someone's expense but why didn't he consider smart arse Granger was the worst possible candidate.

She saw it, worse than that was she saw what he did to it. Instead of worshiping the hand they put it on, he had mauled and mutilated the skin, and now smart Granger was probably putting it all together and—

"Damnit," he hissed slamming his hand on his desk and having the mountain of books shift. This could present a problem.

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Hermione sighed; it had been a week, one Hogsmede visit, and 3 Aritmancy classes since she'd done night patrol. Greg, as to make up for last week had taken both hers and his the last few times and Hermione felt grateful. However, now, once again she was wandering the halls at night looking for couples in broom closest of the occasional prankster. What she got was of course her usual sense of honor and a need trip to inspect the Great Hall and library. She circled both finding nothing out of the ordinary and feeling ecstatic with relief.

She walked slowly through the first floor enjoying the quite and the occasional snoring of the portraits. She turned towards the stairs and then she felt all her joy melt. Of course she wasn't going to catch a break. Of course it was going to happen, she was just hoping it would be on Greg's patrol night.

Draco Malfoy stood calmly staring at the frizzy haired girl through the moonlight. It was bullshit, that people looked gorgeous in the moonlight. Granger looked like her usual prim and unmanageable self. Her uniform was missing the tie but that didn't manner. There was nothing girly or feminine about her as she stared at him as he stood his hand covering a large old text with chains on it.

He was never going to catch a damn break. Of course Granger would be the one and only lousy person who would catch him twice in the middle of the night with a restricted section book in hand wandering the halls at night. Of course—

Draco Malfoy felt himself do a double take because the girl in front of him was looking with such intensity at him he couldn't look away. She had no sympathy or hate in her eyes just a firm understanding and a high pride. Her lips were in a tight frown and she looked down at his rolled sleeves.

Well, nothing to hide anymore he thought. He looked down at his arm and then back up at her only to see her start towards him. He was about to let a sentence, anything, slip when she walked passed him and up the stairs.

He was like a ghost, unseen and not breaking any rules. She ignored her pride and let the guy who called her mudblood all her life get away with nothing. Draco Malfoy did something that moment he had never done. He turned around, mechanically and tared at her ordinary retreating back.

And from the back, she did look like a girl after all.

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That's that. I am sorry it took so long, I've been very busy and on vacation and…making up excuses, yes I know. Well I hope you liked that chapter and maybe will review your comments. Before being flamed, as I've already said, I AM in NEED of a BETA so pleae….anytime now.

Feed Me Reviews,

Much 3,

Ann


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